Trying to grow your hair long, or improve health naturally? Quality hair accessories like Ketylo's sticks and forks are a start. This book fills you in on all t

I'll start by explaining that I am in no way affiliated with Ketylo, and do not receive any compensation from anyone affiliated with these products. I am merely an avid fan and super-satisfied customer. With mid-thigh-length hair, Ketylo products are the only ones I've found that meet my updo needs.

Anyone on the hunt for gorgeous hair accessories that will last, and that won’t damage hair, may find an end to the quest with Ketylo’s fine family of corkscrew hair sticks, hair forks, and combs. These beautiful pieces are all handcrafted from fine hardwoods, and are available in a variety of sizes for all hair lengths and thicknesses. What sets Ketylo apart from all the other hair accessories available on the market and has them in such high demand with longhairs? Let’s start at the beginning and explore some of the details of these fine hair accessories.

Ketylo craftsmanship

Each and every Ketylo hair accessory is hand-carved in a unique corkscrew shape using a wide range of high-quality woods. These include solid hardwoods like rosewood, walnut, tiger maple and more. If you’d rather something a little more colorful and unique, Ketylo carries an inventory of 25 different types of dymondwood, which is a combination of woods that are carved to show off the unique color and grain of each. You can get vibrant colors to set off different parts of your wardrobe, or choose shades that blend with your hair for all-purpose everyday sticks and forks. Each item boasts an amazingly smooth, glass-like finish that will never catch or wear on individual hairs.

Why a Corkscrew?

The corkscrew shape of Ketylo sticks and forks is engineered for maximum comfort, security, and health of the hair. The shape is meant to easily work its way into hair and hold securely while working with the natural contours of your head to prevent pulling. Corkscrews do not have issues with slipping like straight sticks often do, especially in more complicated up-dos, but also don’t get tangled in the hair or risk breaking hairs as typical spiral sticks tend to do.

Problems with Other Hair Accessories

The primary issue with most hair accessories available in department stores, accessory shops and other popular outlets is that most of them are actually very damaging to hair. Plastic and acrylic combs and accessories have seams and rough edges that can slowly saw their way through hair, adding to breakage and making hair appear ragged. This leads to split ends and frizz, which is extremely discouraging if you're trying to grow your hair.

Many metal accessories have rough edges, designs on areas that are meant to go into hair, or are improperly shaped for hair health and comfort. Improper shaping can add to pulling on the scalp, causing irritation and soreness. On the rare occasions that wood, bone, or horn are found in these stores, they are often machine-polished and/or of inferior quality. This can leave rough spots or grains that aren't sanded flush with the rest of the piece. Machine production makes quality control more challenging, making it less likely that natural weak spots in the materials will be noticed and culled before going to market.

Price Comparison of Ketylo versus average accessories

This is a premium product, so expect to pay a premium price. Ketylo products start at about $12-$14 per stick and $48 for a hair fork. Average department store fare may range from $3-$20 per item, or per pair of sticks. That said, you know exactly what you're getting with Ketylo. In the time it takes to wear out one pair of Ketylo sticks, you may have gone through 20 pairs of cheap, damaging, mass-produced hair accessories. Ketylos were made with healthy hair in mind, while the majority of items at your local Wal-Mart or Claire’s were made with nothing but sales in mind. These cheaper accessories often break, discolor, warp, bend, or otherwise end up unsuitable for wear within the first couple of months, and that's after starting as hair hazards.

My Brazilian rosewood Ketylo hair sticks in a cinnamon bun

How I ended up owning Ketylo products, despite what I thought were exorbitant prices

Originally, my sister turned me on to Ketylo hair accessories. She knew I had a lot of difficulty finding good hair toys that would work in my then tailbone-length, extra-thick hair (ponytail circumference of 5 ½”). I admit that because of the difference in our hair needs – hers ranging between shoulder-length and mid-back, and more on the thin side – I did not think that she would be able to point me in the direction of any really good solutions for my hair. She sent me the link to the Ketylo site, I oohed and aahed over the pretty colors, and then filed it away after a glance at the prices. I didn’t see any reason to spend THAT for something to hold my hair up.

True to the older sister creed, mine turned out to be persistent. I didn't bite after she sent me the site link. She sent me a pair of Brazilian rosewood Ketylo sticks for Christmas.

First impressions with Ketylo

I was immediately taken by the depth of color, gorgeous grain and, most of all, the amazing smoothness of my Christmas sticks. While I readily admitted that I appreciated the gift and would use it, I still didn’t see a good reason to spend my own money to get any more. Now that I have my own pair, why do I need more? Then I started wearing them.

My hair is too thick for most fancy buns, so I rarely wear anything beyond a simple cinnamon bun. Because of this, I've never really had a problem with straight sticks falling out. However, I did have some nasty problems with the straight ones pulling. Despite constant readjustments during the day, I couldn't get rid of the pulling. I usually just gave in and suffered through mild headaches and a sore scalp. Over time, I'd even managed to work up a sore spot that never went away, and sometimes burned as the skin itself broke. Ketylo changed all that.

I thought I was doing something wrong. My Ketylo sticks just didn't feel like they were holding anything no matter what I did. After an initial period of checking and re-checking my hair to make sure it wasn’t falling out, I realized that they’re just that comfortable. Even with the weight of my over-abundance of hair, I really couldn’t even feel the bun. Time to put it to the test some more. I started wearing my Ketylo sticks for walks, then through my morning workouts, and finally jogging. I’d never trusted hair sticks for these types of things before. Even with jogging and a more recent marathon, the sticks never pulled and never let any hair loose.

Okay, I'm ready to admit that it's actually quite a bargain

That was the pair that I received for Christmas in 2005. I wore them every day for the first six or seven years I had them. They never showed signs of wear, never splintered, and certainly never broke.

Finally, I decided that it was time to put a little bit of my own money into my hair, give myself a few more options for accessories so that I could match with outfits, moods, etc. I purchased the Dymondwood Indigo Royalwood sticks. The only thing I can say about these is -- WOW. The pictures really don’t do these colors any justice, and in fact a few can make it difficult to see all the gorgeous variation within each type. No matter your favorite color or combination of colors, you’re likely to find something just perfect in the wide selection of dymondwood sticks. These became my favorite immediately, and have been my "daily wear" sticks since 2011.

I have yet to try Ketylo hair forks, though my sister has been using them for years on all her different hair lengths (she’s gone from shoulder, to waist, and back again a couple of times) and absolutely loves them. She has met with the same success with her purchases that I have with mine, which is no doubt why she was so insistent that I needed my own.Someday I'd love to have a LOT more of these products, though the finances haven't allowed for it. That said, in the time I've had my $50 worth of hair sticks, I've broken hundreds of hair ties and barrettes, and splintered or snapped ALL of my other hair sticks. My Ketylo sticks are still in like-new condition, except perhaps polished even a little more, while hundreds of dollars in other hair items are useless and gone.

Overall, if you’re looking for hair accessories that are stylish, versatile, will last forever and won’t hurt your hair, then Ketylo hair sticks and hair forks are definitely the choice for you. Yes, the price tag may be a little scary at first, but you'll find that it really saves money and your hair in the long run.

New to hair sticks? Here's how to use them

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